Fossil Butterflies

Scudder, Samuel Hubbard, 1837-1911Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 254K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Fossil Butterflies by Samuel Hubbard ScudderAuthor: Scudder, Samuel Hubbard, 1837-1911,Language: English, Class: QE: Science: Geology, Release Date: Nov 19, 2017

Editor's review

This is a monograph on fossil butterflies by the paleontologist Samuel Hubbard Scudder, a classic text at the intersection of geology and paleontology. The author is known for rigorous taxonomic description and specimen comparison; the book discusses the preservation states of butterfly fossils, the bases for identification, and questions of the age of the relevant strata, offering direct help in understanding insect evolution and taphonomy. It is not a popular-science book for general readers. The prose carries the formal feel of nineteenth-century scientific writing, dense with terminology and meticulous in argument, so readers need some biological or geological background to move through it smoothly. Its value lies in showing how an early researcher built judgments from scattered fossil material; the process of evidence and inference is itself well worth experiencing. It is suitable as supplementary material for courses in the history of paleontology, insect evolution, or the history of science, and also for desk browsing by enthusiasts interested in fossil identification methods. When reading, keep plates and a glossary at hand, grasp the conclusions first and then return to the arguments; there is no need to read every sentence closely.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Paleontology and geology students who need supplementary literature on insect fossils
Advanced enthusiasts interested in insect evolution and fossil identification methods
Readers of the history of science concerned with nineteenth-century natural-history writing and taxonomic practice
STEM readers who need training in reading English specialist literature

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no preparation in biological and geological terminology
People looking for an illustrated, easy introduction to butterflies
Readers interested only in identifying and appreciating living butterflies

Reading tips

Read the introduction and conclusion first to grasp the author's core judgments, then go back to the taxonomic descriptions.
Keep a brief table of geological periods and insect classification at hand for quick reference to terms.
In specimen-description passages, skim first and focus on how the author derives conclusions from fossil features.
Keep each reading session short and use notes to trace the chain of evidence, avoiding fatigue from piled-up terminology.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no paleontology background at all?

Not very. The book uses a great deal of taxonomic and stratigraphic terminology and builds its arguments around specimen features, so readers without basic background will struggle. It is advisable to read an introductory book on insect evolution or paleontology first before tackling this monograph.

Does the book mainly discuss living butterflies or fossils?

The title states the subject: it deals with fossil butterflies, covering morphological description, identification, and stratigraphic placement of fossil material. It does not focus on identifying and appreciating living butterflies, so readers should adjust their expectations.

Do I need to consult other materials while reading?

It is advisable to use a geological time scale, a brief insect classification table, and explanatory material on modes of fossil preservation. The original is an English public-domain book with plain typesetting; a glossary and plates will noticeably reduce the difficulty.

What is the scholarly value of this book?

It records how an early scholar identified and drew inferences from limited fossil specimens, making it primary material for understanding insect-fossil research methods and the history of science. It is of reference value to those studying taphonomy and taxonomic practice.

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About the author

Scudder, Samuel Hubbard, 1837-1911 Author

Samuel Hubbard Scudder (1837–1911) was an author associated with American paleontology and entomological research. Publicly available information on his nationality, formal education, positions, and life history is limited, and this entry makes no conjectures on those points. The library holds one work by him, Fossil Butterflies. As the title indicates, the book takes fossil butterflies as its subject and belongs to the specialized field where paleoentomology and insect taxonomy intersect, involving descriptions of fossil specimens, morphological comparisons, and taxonomic discussion. Works of this kind are generally addressed to specialist readers, emphasize specimen evidence and nomenclatural standards, and adopt a rigorous, descriptive style rather than a popular-science one. Their value lies mainly in accumulating material for the study of fossil butterflies and in reflecting the research interests of insect paleontology in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Since only one work is held, no further assessment of his overall scholarly standing is offered here.